


When You Wake Up

by justcallmeradio



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, How Do I Tag, Hurt, Hurt Jack, Hurt No Comfort, I'm Sorry, Jack Needs a Hug, Jack-Centric, Nightmares, Sad Jack Kelly, The Refuge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24531463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justcallmeradio/pseuds/justcallmeradio
Summary: Two times Jack wakes up after having a nightmare.
Relationships: Jack Kelly & Original Character(s)
Kudos: 16





	When You Wake Up

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place pre-newsies musical. <3

Bean sighed as shifted the weight on his back, trying not to wake the little boy that clung there. He found the kid, Jack, earlier that day, running way from something. Jack never said what. At first he was too scared to talk to Bean. By the time he realized Bean wouldn’t hurt him, he collapsed into a crying mess in the boys arms. Bean couldn’t blame him, he could assume where Jack had been, and the refuge was never kind to it’s prisoners.

Jack started to mumble in his sleep, and Bean slowed down, hoping he wouldn’t wake the boy.

“Help... p-please stop... don’t...”

Bean winced, realizing Jack’s dreams were less than peaceful. He pulled Jack down front his back, and held him at his side. The movement was enough to wake Jack up. He looked up to Bean, and he could see the tears welling up in Jacks eyes. 

“Oh kid,” Bean sighed. Jack began to sob into his shoulder. 

Bean walked into a nearby ally and placed him down, away from the crowds. He knelt in from of Jack, so they were at eye level.

“Did you have a nightmare?” Bean asked.

Jack nodded, and tried to muffle his crying. 

“Do you know what I do when I get nightmares?”

Jacks eyebrows furrowed together. “You get nightmares?”

“Of course I do, kid, everyone does.” Bean grabbed Jacks shaking hands. “You’ve just got to look around, and see you are awake. Its only a dream. When you wake up, you’ve escaped from whatever was happening while you slept.” 

Bean paused for a minute. Jacks tears had stopped flowing, but the tracks were still visible on his dirt face. He pulled the boy into his arms.

“I’ll make sure when you wake up, it’ll always be safe.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Jack’s eyes shot open. His mind swirling with the images flashing behind his eyes. Police towering over him as he pleaded for mercy. Kids shivering as they cuddled together in there bunks. Guards stomping down the basement stairs with brass knuckles on their fingers. Throwing his arms up as Snyder’s fist flew towards his face. 

“Bean?” He whispered. His voice shook and echoed around him. “Race? Crutchie?”

He was alone, though. The only answer was the creaking of floorboards above him, slowly moving closer to the door. Jack scrambled back, until he hit the wall. The footsteps passed, but Jack didn’t relax. He hugged his legs tight to his chest, even though it hurt, just trying to make himself small enough to disappear. Jack knew it wouldn’t help, it never did. 

“Look around,” Bean had told him the day he found him, but there was nothing to see. It was just black. No, he could only see when Snyder came down, bringing a lantern so he could watch the fear in Jacks face.

“When you wake up, you’ve escaped from the nightmare,” Bean had told him, but there was no waking up from the nightmare he was living in.

**Author's Note:**

> So this didn’t go how I planned, but I kinda like it...? It’s short but I wrote 1000 words and it got deleted so this is what I’ve got :) Anyways I think this is gonna be part of a series of Jack having nightmares, let me know in the comments if you want that/what characters I should include. Also Bean is an oc from the last fic I wrote so ???? I never know what to say in this. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Also if you haven’t signed the justice for George Floyd petition, do that! Spread the word, silence is violence, black lives matter. If you are sound protesting stay safe!
> 
> <3


End file.
